Four Mass Media Memorable Moments

This year marks 20 years since I started watching the NCAA college basketball tournament religiously. I got to thinking about the circumstances that led to that, which led to this post - four moments (not intentionally, all tragedies) that I'll remember forever. While I don't always remember "where I was when ..." I do think, on some level, each of these events changed my life forever. They're listed chronologically; not in order of importance (in truth, these four are so drastically different in terms of impact on the world, it would be inappropriate to "rank" them).

1. Thurman Munson Dies in Plane Crash (8/2/79)
I was 12 (just two days before I'd turn 13). Baseball was my favorite sport and Thurman Munson was my favorite player. I wasn't particularly good at baseball, and I hated playing catcher, but Munson did both, and I wanted to be like him desperately.

(I eventually became ~okay~ at baseball. I became a decent fielding second baseman, and I was quick, with a good batting eye; although my coaches later realized it wasn't so much a good batting eye, as much as sheer terror keeping the bat on my shoulder. I don't know that I ever actually *hit* a pitched baseball more than 10 times in my career).

The impact of Munson's death was probably the first step towards moving me away from baseball (and more towards basketball, I suppose). It was also the first experience I'd had with 'death' - even in such an abstract way. It may have been the first experience with tragedy I'd had. I do remember that I didn't find out on my own - my mother came and told me (which probably wasn't particularly easy for her, either).

2. Shuttle Challenger Explodes (1/28/86)


People don't necessarily remember how big of a deal this was at the time -- this flight featured one of the first civilians ever to fly on a shuttle - a teacher, Christa McAuliffe. The media promoted this experience heavily. And, although I was in school at the time, the news spread quickly that something had happened. I remember racing home to watch the TV report (today, of course, all the students would just whip out their web-enabled mobile phones).

What followed was one of the most horrifying sights I'd seen. As I was unfamiliar with the space program, etc., I did not even recognize the explosion for what it was (if you see the CNN video of the event, it's fairly clear the announcer there didn't either: a good 35-40 seconds go by before he says anything about an explosion -- he's still talking about the shuttle and the mechanics of the separation, even while the mission is effectively over).

Even today, nearly a quarter-century later, it's still chilling to watch.

3. Hank Gathers Dies (3/4/90)


This was different than the Thurman Munson tragedy, in that Gathers was young and died while ACTUALLY playing the game. Gathers played for Loyola-Marymount University, a program that had never achieved, well, *anything* prior to his arrival (and, hasn't achieved anything since).

I had watched parts of the NCAA tournament before - the earliest I remember was 1985, when Villanova shot the lights out, beating a heavily favored Georgetown team; and I watched the finals in 1986 (my first exposure to Duke - still my favorite team, even though they lost) and all the way up through 1989, when I was in college, and we had to reserve the TV lounge to watch the finals.

But, 1990 was different - Gathers (and Bo Kimble) were leading a program that had no real right to lay any claim to the NCAA tournament. They played a VERY uptempo game that seemingly was based on the concept of each team taking as many shots as possible in a game, and, hopefully, Loyola-Marymount would make more. And that worked (until they ran into the buzzsaw that was UNLV in the tournament - still one of the most exciting games I've ever seen).

Seeing Gathers collapse just seconds after a great dunk, was damned scary - and, for someone *in* college at the time, this was something that hit home hard. This was different than Len Bias, who died because he'd dabbled in cocaine; this was someone who died doing something he loved ... something *I* loved doing, as well!

And, Bo Kimble's tribute to his late friend (shooting free throws left-handed) still ranks as one of the most emotional additions to a sporting event. It's impossible to watch this without getting at least a little misty-eyed.

The net effect of this is very apparent in my life. That year, I watched the entire tournament - beginning to end, for the first time in my life. I have done the same thing every year - this year, marking the 20th anniversary.

4. September 11, 2001 (9/11/01)


For my generation, I think 9/11 is the "where were you when ..." moment. It's still a sickening memory, and yet, one I remember vividly.

I was home for the day -- my wife had needed me to go into NYC to handle some paperwork for her, and I was planning on going in later in the day. When we woke up, we turned on the TV (around 8:50am), and simultaneously bolted up from the bed into a 90 degree angle. The first scene we saw was the gaping hole in the side of the WTC.

Over the next few hours, I don't know that I moved my eyes from a TV -- over the next few days, I don't know that I slept. A host of emotions were flowing through me -- not the least of which was the recollection of the number of times I'd had breakfast meetings at Windows on the World, just one year prior (probably around 6-7 times, in total).

I had several friends in NYC - some walked out of the city, over the Brooklyn Bridge. One had had an interview that morning at the WTC, but one day earlier, he learned he'd been accepted into the Fire Academy, so he canceled his interview. Ultimately, I was fortunate to only know 1-2 people that actually passed away: one, was someone I'd attended college with for two years, until he'd transferred out (Damian Meehan); the other, was someone that rode on the same train as I -- and, as we'd pull into Ronkonkoma, we'd both be standing by the door, and occasionally, we'd chat. I didnt even know his name ...


So, those are my four mass-media memorable moments. I'm inclined to think tragedies stick around longer in our consciousness than celebrations, etc. (so, while I remember the hubbub surrounding Princess Diana's wedding; I remember her passing more vividly).

What are some of your mass-media moments?

Two Things With Nothing In Common

So, with the end of my unemployment looming (unless Congress passes a bill extending benefits, I have about one month left in unemployment), it's time to ramp up my job search even more. I think I've done a pretty good job so far -- I've certainly gotten interviews -- but I haven't received any offers.

So, this weekend, I'll be contacting about 400 companies directly, inquiring about positions (and proposing my services), as well as approximately 125 recruiters/executive search firms. I am hopeful there will be some interest.

I've also now subscribed to Linked In's "Answers" section - four topics in all - to continue my attempts to "get noticed." Ironically, this is probably the way most wanna-be musicians/actors go about trying to be discovered. Less humorously, I'm not looking to be the next Leonardo DiCaprio! I just want to work in communications for a small/medium-sized company or non-profit.

So, I promised two things with nothing in common. The first, obviously, is my ramped-up job search efforts. The second is this link. At first, I was semi-amused by the concept, but there are a LOT of pictures here, and I started envisioning this almost more as a documentary - like "The Hangover" with Star Wars figures (if only he could've found a Mike Tyson doll).

Anyway, by the end, I was not only laughing, but also, found myself admiring the ingenuity. Hopefully, it brightens up your Friday, as well!

OK - next week, I'll embark on a series of posts - the Top 5 books for Corporate Communicators (or something like that; I haven't really decided on a title, just yet).

Why Being Unemployed Is Great

So, in my efforts to continue staying upbeat about the precarious position I find myself in, I decided to see if I could figure out all the positive things about being unemployed. I came up with four.

1. When it's snowing (as it has done quite a bit this past winter), I don't need to be up early and worry about shoveling myself out -- I can take my time.

2. When it's really nice out (like yesterday - nearly 60 degrees), I can head outside earlier than I could if I was working and shoot hoops while there's still sunlight.

3. I'm able to watch ALL the Championship Week and March Madness action I could ever wish for.

4. Barnes & Noble is planning on having a massive clearance sale on boardgames tomorrow - quite a few games will be sold for $2. I can actually be at the store when it opens, securing the games I want.

Now - this is all nice; but I'd probably trade all (okay, *some*) of these benefits for the big three that a job can provide:

1. Money
2. Food
3. Shelter

(but, I'd have to think about it for a little while first!)

I Have Seen Jesus

And his name is Tavon Sledge.

I've been going to high school football and basketball games for about 12 years now. I don't miss championship games, as a rule. And in my life, I've had the pleasure of seeing several of the best LI players during that time - Troy Bowe, Chris Rooney, AJ Price, and even Kenny Anderson (when he played in NYC).

When I headed to the Half Hollow Hills West-Bay Shore game last weekend, I went expecting to be wowed by Tobias Harris, who is currently rated anywhere from #4 to #8 in America (really, the first time we've had a player of that caliber and with that hype since I've been going to these games). Tobias was averaging a double-double for the year (about 25 points and 14 rebounds a game), and Half Hollow Hills West was undefeated and sitting pretty in the #21 spot on USA Today's Top 25 Basketball teams.

I had seen Harris play two years ago, and wasn't impressed, necessarily. He had a good game, but I thought he looked rigid and not fluid. But, he was 6'8 and he wasn't relegated to being under the basket (like most 6'8 kids find themselves on LI), so there was potential. Clearly, he realized that potential. He slimmed down and led his public school team to a great season.

As I had been poring over the boxscores, I kept reading about this other kid, Tavon Sledge, who played the point guard position. Great stats for this junior. so I was definitely looking forward to checking out the game.

What I wasn't expecting was the electrifying performance Sledge put on. It started in warmups, where the 5'9 Sledge began throwing down dunk after dunk. Once the game started, he continued to impress the crowd, eventually even pulling the Bay Shore fans to root for him. He had four spectacular dunks in the game - which was downright impressive - but even more impressive were the things that most casual fans might overlook: his incredibly fast foot speed, especially with the ball; his quick hands on defense (he poked away a ball in what may have been the best steal I've ever seen); and his fearlessness.

Hills West blew Bay Shore away, doubling up the score 96-48. After the game, a friend asked how Sledge's jump shot was, and I had to say, I didn't have any clue -- I didn't recall him shooting a jumper the whole game. I didn't recall him having to shoot one. Literally, if he squared up to shoot and the defender reacted, Sledge was by him.

Based on that performance, I was expecting great things on Wednesday evening, when Hills played the #2 seed, Longwood. I've been impressed with Longwood for years -- the coach seems to be a class act, and they consistently put a good team on the floor, valuing unselfish play. There is never a real "star" for Longwood. This year, they had one - Darien Davis - who may not have been the gravity-defier that Sledge was, but certainly matched him in quickness and ball-handling.

Nevertheless, Longwood had struggled to beat Lindenhurst, and one of Longwood's best players was out with a broken foot. I confidently proclaimed that Hills West would easily win by 20+ points.

In warmups, Sledge showcased his air show for the crowd ... unlike the Bay Shore crowd, though, these fans had no respect for him or Hills West. That wouldn't change all game. (He's the second dunk in the first video below, and he's the last player dunking in the second video).





The game was intense. Hills came out flat, trying too hard, while Longwood embraced the "we're just happy to be here" attitude. Three-pointers flew fast and furious. You could sense the frustration (and, to some degree, the fear) in Hills players, as they watched their undefeated season implode. Each time they made a dent in Longwood's armor, Longwood came back stronger.

After one quarter, Hills led by one point. At halftime and after the third quarter, Longwood held a 3-point lead. Longwood never went up more than 6, keeping Hills around, but the spirit was fading.

On one play, with Longwood up by 1, Hills poked the ball away and Sledge broke down the court, getting the pass. Both sides stood, anticipating the dunk. Sledge, though, perhaps thought better of attempting a dunk (and perhaps missing, especially in such a tight game), and got caught in between, essentially laying the ball on the rim. It rolled off, and Longwood recovered. A long pass downcourt and a 3-point shot later, and Longwood was now up by 4.

Hills turned the corner in the fourth quarter, finally finding the rhythm, and taking a lead on back-to-back three pointers by Tobias Harris and his younger brother, Tyler. Sledge, who had 18 points in the first half (not necessarily shooting more than usual; but, in truth, he was the only player consistently making his shots), turned into more of a point guard in the second half, scoring only 6 points (mostly on free throws) and running the offense. Hills prevailed in the game by 8, but the game felt closer than that. Scarier still, one has to wonder how the game would've played out if Longwood's injured player had been available to play.

Sledge found the going a little tougher, but - to answer my friend's inquiry, yes, he has a jumper! He had 10 fieldgoals in the game, and I'd estimate at least 7 were mid-range jumpers, in the 12-17 foot range. He has a slightly slower delivery than I'd like, but it's not a deal-breaker, mostly because he'll rarely have defenders that close to him (since he can go around them with ease) - that fear and respect for his quickness enables him to have a slower release.

I don't know that he has 3-point range -- hitting only 8 all year; and he doesn't get to the foul line often (or, he does, and just doesn't shoot particularly well). But he has lightning-quick feet, good court vision and physical attributes that simply can't be taught - there's no way a 5'9 guard should be able to grab rebounds with the vigor he does.

There's a lot of pressure put on these kids, I think. Tobias Harris has been followed on a national scale since his sophomore year, and he's routinely booed and ridiculed at every game. He gets too emotional for my liking, but I understand the frustration and the release. Sledge, conversely, reminds me of Barry Sanders -- he comes to play, wows you, and goes about his business. He doesn't get overly excited, doesn't get overly caught up in the game. He seems to stay focused.

Of course, he's also only a junior. (Did you hear that? That was the sound of 25 Suffolk County high school coaches moaning as they realize they'll have to face him again next year (although, the trainers and ace bandage manufacturers are grateful they'll still have jobs -- next year promises many more sprained ankles while defenders try to keep up with him)). He still has a year to garner national attention (and suffer through bloggers claiming they saw Jesus when they saw him play).

Tobias didn't disappoint in the two games I saw -- He scored 46 points and 20+ rebounds and played methodically and machine-like. When he wanted to score, he did. It was simple. He's worthy of the hype, but his game is workman-like. Sledge scored 45 in those same two games, along with at least 7-8 jaw-dropping plays. I don't know where Sledge will end up (I'll be astonished if it's not an upper echelon Division I school, but you never know), but I can honestly say, on a high school level, I've never been more blown away by a player than I was with Tavon Sledge.